2,000 sick snow geese die in Idaho wildlife areas

The Associated Press

Published
11:57 am EDT, Tuesday, March 17, 2015

FILE - In this May 9 2005, file photo, shows snow geese and Canada geese preparing to land on marsh at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge near Merrill, Ore. Wildlife officials say 2,000 migrating snow geese have died in eastern Idaho likely because of avian cholera. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says staff and volunteers collected the dead birds over the last several days at the Mud Lake Wildlife Management Area near Terreton and the Market Lake Wildlife Management Area near Roberts. (AP Photo/Jeff Barnard, File) less

FILE - In this May 9 2005, file photo, shows snow geese and Canada geese preparing to land on marsh at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge near Merrill, Ore. Wildlife officials say 2,000 migrating snow ... more

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FILE - In this May 9 2005, file photo, shows snow geese and Canada geese preparing to land on marsh at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge near Merrill, Ore. Wildlife officials say 2,000 migrating snow geese have died in eastern Idaho likely because of avian cholera. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says staff and volunteers collected the dead birds over the last several days at the Mud Lake Wildlife Management Area near Terreton and the Market Lake Wildlife Management Area near Roberts. (AP Photo/Jeff Barnard, File) less

FILE - In this May 9 2005, file photo, shows snow geese and Canada geese preparing to land on marsh at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge near Merrill, Ore. Wildlife officials say 2,000 migrating snow ... more

Photo: AP

2,000 sick snow geese die in Idaho wildlife areas

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MUD LAKE, Idaho >> Wildlife officials say 2,000 migrating snow geese have died in eastern Idaho, likely from a disease that can cause birds to die in midflight and drop out of the sky.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says staff and volunteers collected the dead birds over the past several days at wildlife management areas near the towns of Terreton and Roberts. They say the cause of death likely was avian cholera.

Authorities say the geese were migrating from the Southwest and Mexico to breeding grounds on the north coast of Alaska.

Fish and Game spokesman Steve Schmidt says it’s unclear where they picked up the bacteria.